Why settle for a plain cup of coffee this holiday season when you can brighten it and bump up the flavor by adding American Heritage Chocolate Finely Grated Dark Chocolate (www.americanheritagechocolate.com).

This finely grated dark chocolate is blended with just a hint of cinnamon, orange and vanilla for a unique and exotic flavor. Add it to your coffee or cup or cocoa, as a sprinkling over cake icing and other desserts, or to rim and decorate holiday cocktails. It’s a delicious mixture that can replace semi-sweet chocolate in your favorite candy, baked goods and beverage recipes. American Heritage is a brand of artisanal chocolate that offers a full array of chocolate products., all made without artificial ingredients or preservatives. Give a bag or two as a stocking stuffer for the chocoholic on your gift list this year.

In the 60s and early 70s, journalist Ann Moses had a dream job that made her the envy of red-blooded teen age girls around the world as writer/photographer/editor for Hollywood’s Tiger Beat Magazine.

She’s compiled her sweet, innocent, crazy, heartbreaking and often nostalgic memories of that 7-year ride into a book called “Meow: My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols” (www.annmoses.com). If you love Hollywood gossip and would like to know what it was like to hang with the Mamas and the Papas, Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy and other celebrities who set hearts a flutter – you will absolutely devour “Meow”. It makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who plastered their bedroom walls with posters of their favorite actors and singers while growing up.

If you are planning to gift someone with an Instant Pot this Christmas, or know they already have one that they aren’t using to maximum efficiency, why not present them with a copy of Marilyn Haugen’s latest release, “5-Ingredient Instant Pot Cookbook” (www.robertrose.ca).

One of the best reasons to love this book is that is provides 150 simple and easy creations that need only 5 key ingredients to make. There is also a wonderful introduction to getting the most out of your Instant Pot. The recipes run the gamut from side dishes and protein staples to desserts and pasta and vegetarian side dishes. This well-written guidebook is a must-have for any Instant Pot owner!

For anyone on your holiday gift list who aspires to be in business for themselves, Cameron Mitchell’s inspiring autobiography, “YES is the Answer. What Is The Question?” (www.ideapresspublishing.com) is the perfect fit.

Mitchell tells in entertaining fashion his rise from being a 16 year old troubled dishwasher to president of a restaurant corporation some 19 years later. His own gameplan for success in business and success at building a reliable professional team has many lessons to teach others beyond those in the foodservice and hospitality business.

“YES is the Answer. What Is the Question?” by Cameron Mitchell – Gotta Love It!

“Absurdimals: Chester Learns to Swim” by Gwendolyn Javor, with illustrations by Melissa Aker Spears, (www.absurdimalsseries.com) is the second in a series of children’s stories about animals who learn to make their physical differences work in their favor.

Kids will no doubt be rooting for the loveable although self-doubting Chester, a “dock” who is combination dog and duck who doubts his ability to swim in order to win an upcoming race. Only when Chester grows in self-confidence and, more importantly, self-acceptance, does he realize that swimming, or any other goal he wants to achieve, is within his reach. This Absurdimals tale make a great stocking stuffer for children this holiday season!

Some of the best roomates we can ever have in our lives are those with four legs and covered in fur. But pets can be hard on the furnishings in your home or apartment. New York City-based Interior Define (www.interiordefine.com) can custom make furniture for your living room, bedroom and dining room that is expertly crafted using a wide array of premiere quality pet friendly fabrics.

Best of all, Interior Define will send you 5 free swatches of high quality pet friendly fabrics, including top-grain leathers and jewel-colored velvets, so you can choose the best styles, colors and designs for your situation and budget. In addition, you can also visit their Soho Guideshop location in New York for their design expertise or do everything online so that you can make your home pet-friendlier in 2019.

KISS Rocker Gene Simmons has scored another winner with the introduction of his new line-up of Moneybag Sodas (www.genesimmonsmoneybag.com) in four thirst-quenching varieties: Cola, Diet Cola, Ginger Ale and Root Beer.

We recently found what Simmons describes as the “royalty” of sodas at our local Wegman’s Supermarket and love the crisp, clear kick that comes from pure sugar cane as one of the key ingredients. And even though USA-made Moneybag Sodas is designed for those with expensive tastes, you don’t have to be a millionaire to afford a 4-pack! Cola and Root Beer, complete with foamy head, are our favorites. Also available at select local 7-Eleven locations. A unique and appealing addition to your holiday beverage bar offerings or as a hostess gift when visiting family and friends.

If there is a Burger King location in your neighborhood (www.burgerking.com), check to see if they are offering the chain’s limited time pancake promotion, a great breakfast value for under a dollar!

Whether enjoyed in the dining room on-site or taken home for a breakfast treat, Burger King’s trio of Golden Fluffy Pancakes comes complete with syrup and buttery spread. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and now Burger King eliminates all of the muss and fuss of making pancakes in your own kitchen with its sweet Golden Fluffy Pancakes deal.